The Stuttgart-born (1950) physicist has been President of the University of  Hamburg since Nov. 1, 2006. After studying and receiving her doctorate  (Dr.-Ing.) at the University of Stuttgart, she received her qualifacation as a  professor at that university in 1991 on the basis of her thesis (Habilitation)  on "Arcjet Propulsion Systems for Space Applications". A year later she was  appointed to a professorship in space aviation systems, making her the first and  only female professor in the field of aerospace technology.

During her  Presidency, Auweter-Kurtz wants to raise the profile of the University of  Hamburg by increasing the level of interdisciplinary teaching and research  projects.